Encountering the unexpected is one of the most exhilarating things about traveling.

For a visitor like me, the surprising markers of daily life that often make one corner of the world distinct from another can strike anywhere: in food (OMG, the food), in fashion and in the quiet genius of everyday tech.

Now that I've settled back into San Francisco living after my 19-day tech tour of Asia, my mind still drifts to some of the terrific -- and often simple -- things that I'd love to see become part of everyday life where I live, too. I walk you through them in the gallery below.